A Chareidi family of nine from Jerusalem, parents and their seven children, arrived at Hadassah Har Hatzofim Hospital on Rosh Hashanah after experiencing unusual symptoms including dizziness, headaches, nausea, and vomiting, Hadassah Har Hatzofim Hospital reported on Thursday.

Dr. David Rechtman, director of the Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, explained: “The parents arrived with their children recognizing that something was wrong, but without knowing the cause. Thanks to the vigilance of Dr. Talia Dor Wollman, a senior neurologist and head of the Pediatric Neurological Diseases Service for children, the symptoms were quickly identified as possible carbon monoxide poisoning. Tests confirmed extremely high levels of carbon monoxide in the family’s blood.”

Fire and rescue teams later discovered that the gas had entered the home from a generator operating nearby. The entire family, who were conscious upon arrival, were treated in the pediatric and adult emergency rooms at Hadassah Har Hatzofim before being transferred in ambulances for treatment in the hyperbaric chamber at Hadassah Ein Kerem.

Dr. Rechtman emphasized that carbon monoxide “can severely damage the central nervous system, cause irreversible developmental harm, or even lead to death. Because it is colorless and odorless, its presence in the house cannot be detected until physical damage is already felt.”

Dr. Eyal Abraham, vascular surgeon and director of the Hyperbaric Medicine Unit at Hadassah, explained, “Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is one of the most effective treatments for carbon monoxide poisoning. By breathing 100% oxygen under increased pressure, patients rapidly clear the gas from their blood, oxygen delivery to deprived tissues improves, and the risk of long-term neurological damage is reduced.”

B’Chasdei Hashem, all nine family members were discharged from the hospital on Motzei Yom Tov.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)